When You Smile
by Chocolate Pudding1
Summary: Jimmy has finally found a way to make Cindy smile.


**A/N: **This is just a little something I whipped up a couple days ago. I was reading How To Read Literature Like a Professor for my Lit class and, let me tell you, that book really inspires you to write! I proof-read this story a million times, but I'm awful at little mistakes, so I'm sure there's something that I missed. Don't hate. :)

Anyway, this is just a cute little one-shot I came up with and thought I'd share. I hope you all like it!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything!

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"NERDTRON!"

He had heard this before; many times, actually, but Jimmy couldn't deny that he loved hearing it everytime. It wasn't the name he loved -- "Nerdtron" really wasn't that original -- and it wasn't even the satisfaction that he had successfully irritated the latter. It was the whole situation he was in that made him happy.

Over the years, a lot of things had changed between Jimmy and Cindy. Back in fifth grade, the two only interacted around a group, even though, if it had been their way, they would have been around each other a lot more, and everything that was said or done between them could have been taken as just plain rivalry (except for those who knew them well). Now that they were in high school, though, their fighting became more of rough flirting than anything else and it had started to become obvious to everyone that they had feelings for each other. Their pranks were just so...different, more playful, less conniving, whatever you could think of to describe the difference between Cindy rigging a desk to shoot ink in Jimmy's face and using his boxers as the school flag. Their pranks weren't made up on a whim just to humiliate one another -- they each had a point to make.

Jimmy and Cindy were both more confident in themselves than they were when they were in fifth grade. They were able to talk to each other comfortably and were even able to get together with no extra company, just the two of them.

That was how this certain fiasco was started. This time the prank was on Cindy...and it really wasn't one of Jimmy's bests -- he came up with it on a whim that morning -- but he enjoyed it all the same. This time, Jimmy had bet Cindy she couldn't eat a whole double-spanky burger and so of course she took him up on that offer, only to find that Jimmy had put something in it that made her voice sound as if it were on helium.

"What was that, Cindy?"

"Neutron!" Cindy yelled, or squeaked. "Fix my voice right now!"

"It sounds the same as it always does." Jimmy grinned.

"No it doesn't! I sound awful -- like a mouse!"

"Cindy, don't beat yourself up. Your voice isn't that bad." Jimmy teased. Cindy tried with all her might to act angry, but she couldn't keep a straight face, especially with the way her voice sounded. Her once frustrated face relaxed and formed into a genuine smile.

This was why Jimmy loved hearing the name "Nerdtron." He knew that Cindy didn't really get upset with him -- it was all apart of their little act -- and he loved to see Cindy smile. Not the fake smile she gave to people in the hallways, but the one she was giving him right now; a real, well-earned smile. She didn't do it often, but when she did, he loved it.

"Okay, Cindy," Jimmy said, chuckling, "I'll fix your voice." He picked up a bottle behind him, "Drink this."

Cindy playfully snatched the bottle away, grinning, and gulped it down. As he took the bottle from her, Jimmy noticed she had a red spot on her shirt.

"What are you looking at?" Cindy asked.

"You have a stain on your shirt." Cindy looked down and gasped. "Hold on, let me see if it's still wet." he reached out and stroked the stain -- as soon as he did, Cindy let out a squeal and jumped back. Jimmy froze -- what had he just done to her? For the next minute, he watched Cindy fumble and look around the room nervously as he tried to wrap his brain around what had just happened.

And then he saw a blush rise in her face. "Brain blast." he thought.

"Cindy, are you ticklish?" he asked, slyly.

She crossed her arms defensively. "No," she said emphatically.

He raised one eyebrow and grinned, "You know I'll find out if you're lying," he said, "and I don't mean with a lie detector."

"Neutron, I'm not ticklish so just let it go!" she said, walking up to the stairs Jimmy had put in his lab for easy access to his house.

"Then I guess you wont mind if I get the satin out with my stain remover," Jimmy said, tauntingly.

Cindy glared. She knew it was a challenge. She would just have to hold her breath. She could do it. "Fine," she said. Jimmy smiled and grabbed the stain remover pen he whipped up himself for emergencies. Cindy put her arms to the side and Jimmy brought his pen to her torso, moving it slowly up and down on the stain. Cindy's breath hitched. Jimmy changed the motion, wiggling the pen faster.

Cindy moved a little and Jimmy looked up at her while she was trying with all her might not to respond.

"I'm going to have to ask you to keep still, Cindy." he said. Cindy just nodded, not daring to open her mouth. "Oh, you've got a small spot her too," Jimmy said, moving the pen down lower on her stomach and using bigger strides. This was almost too much for Cindy to handle. She gasped lightly and grabbed onto the railing of the bottom of the stairs. Jimmy had found the magic spot.

"This is a stubborn one," Jimmy commented. He set the pen down, letting Cindy take a breath and wonder what was going to happen next.

"What are you doing?" She asked nervously.

"Sometimes it takes a little bit extra to get the her started." Jimmy said, "The stain remover, that is." Jimmy placed his hand on her hip and brought his index finger to her lower stomach, where the stain was and began to scratch at it. Cindy didn't know if she could take the torture. She gripped both sides of the railing and closed her eyes. Jimmy didn't stop there. He kept squeezing the hip he was holding and saying, "Stay still, Cindy. I can't get the stain out with you squirming like that." Jimmy thought for a second -- he had once studied a lab done on ticklish parts of the body. This time, instead of squeezing her hip, he moved his hand up a little to her waist and squeezed it gently.

He finally did it; a small giggle escaped Cindy's lips. Jimmy looked up at Cindy, whose face was bright red from embarrassment. He smiled, "What was that Cindy?" and just as she was about to respond, he squeezed her side again, making her let out another giggle. A devilish grin spread across his face.

"Don't. You. Dare." Cindy said, warningly, but it was too late. Jimmy stood up and advanced on Cindy, wiggling his fingers tauntingly. Before she knew it, Cindy was being attacked by Jimmy's ten ruthless fingers and laughing uncontrollably. Jimmy moved up to her ribs, which made Cindy let out a full, throaty laugh that made Jimmy smile from ear to ear.

Jimmy ceased his attack and rested his hand on Cindy's sensitive stomach. "Well?"

Cindy was still recovering. "Neutron!" she said, a tiny giggle sneaking in between.

"I thought you said you weren't ticklish, Cindy."

Cindy's eyes widened. "Well, I -- I'm not --" But she was cut off when Jimmy squeezed her leg, "Ticklish here?" Cindy giggled and crawled up the stairs away from his grasping hands.

"Please, don't!" Cindy said, laughing through her words. Jimmy lifted her shirt and wiggled his fingers all over her torso, making Cindy let out a loud, high-pitched laugh and try to stop Jimmy's attack with her hands. Jimmy held her wrists with both his hands and slowly crept his index finger up and into Cindy's bellybutton.

"NEUTROOOOOOOOOON!" she squealed.

Jimmy continued, "Who?" he said. "I don't know who 'Neutron' is."

"Yesssss you DOO!" she yelled through her giggling. "Stahahap!"

Jimmy's index finger entered her bellybutton, wiggling in and out of it. "I will if you say my name."

Cindy bucked -- She didn't think she could take it any longer. Her face was flushed and shiny, but Jimmy loved the huge smile on her face and her laugh and...her. Jimmy began to laugh along with her and continued tickling.

"Jimaha!" Cindy managed to get out.

"What, Cindy?" Jimmy said, squeezing her side with his other hand, still wiggling his finger inside her bellybutton.

"Jimmy!"

Jimmy was laughing almost as much as Cindy, but didn't stop his work on her. "Hmm?" he teased.

As Jimmy's tickling progressd harder and faster, Cindy's erratic movements increased and as Cindy's erratic movements increased, Jimmy's laughter built up until it finally matched Cindy's.

"JIMMY!"

Finally, Jimmy had to stop, his hands on either side of Cindy as he tiredly hovered over her exhausted body. Once they both caught their breath, they looked at each other, thinking of the rather intimate situation they had just been in. Suddenly, Jimmy smiled.

"What?" Cindy asked.

"You're really ticklish." he said, laughing.

Cindy just rolled her eyes and said, "Oh Neutron. You're so smart."

Jimmy sat back on one of the steps. "You know you enjoyed it." Cindy knew she had enjoyed it too, but she would never admit it. She just blushed and smiled up at Jimmy -- really smiled.

Jimmy realized he was staring at her and looked away, blushing. "No, it's okay. I like it when you look at me like that," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing anyone had ever stated. Jimmy looked down at her and moved a stray hair out of her eyes, cupping her face with his hand.

"Jimmy, what just happened?" Cindy asked.

Jimmy shook his head. "From everything I've researched on this topic, it seems that the combination of the build-up of our hormones and the continual sexual interest shown by each other has built up until this moment when we were unable to keep both under control."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning," Jimmy said, taking a breath, "I like you and, unless my scientific reasoning has gone wrong," he blushed a little, "you like me too." Cindy nodded, her heart beating faster. Jimmy waited on every millisecond, waiting for Cindy to say something.

"Well, I'd have to say that you're a pretty good scientist, Jimmy." she finally got out. Jimmy smiled, relieved. Cindy grasped his face in her hands and pulled him down to kiss her. They broke apart and Jimmy looked down at her, completely at a state of being where he had no idea what was going on -- somewhere he had never been before -- but loved every second of it.

"You're beautiful, you know." Jimmy said. Cindy blushed and looked away, shaking her head. Jimmy stroked the skin under her chin with his finger, guiding her head up towards his and said, "And I love it when you smile." He leaned in to kiss her, but, instead, kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear, "Even if I have to make you do it."

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**A/N:** Did you like it? Let me know what you think! I'm interested!


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